I’ve previously been very critical at the exorbitant wireless internet (WiFi) tarrifs in hotspots, such as those frequently encountered in coffee shops.
It’s partly driven by a selfish view I hold that I’m actually the target audience for these tariffs. I run my own small business, I’ve no children, I have a WiFi equipped laptop, and I enjoy working in (quiet) coffee shops to get a break from my home office. I don’t mind spending a bit of money to get the access (although I’d of course prefer if it was free: They’d get more of my custom for sure!).
Unfortunately, until now the various companies behind these schemes were, I presume, targeting expense accounts of travelling salespeople. High rates put me off. £5 for an entire day’s access at a Cafe Nero was as high as I would be prepared to go.
The news today then is that The Cloud has announced an unlimited tariff for a small(ish) monthly fee: It launches this summer (more here). Presumably they’ve finally realised that high costs for time-limited access simply isn’t practical, even if you are claiming it back and aren’t thinking of your companies bottom line (or, perhaps, simply have no choice).
The media have also cottoned on to the fact that it’s trivial to speak to people for free over VoIP networks such as Skype. This could be the ‘killer app’ for a more pervasive wireless network infrastructure, as companies realise they’ll get more customers who are keen to be in a location that enables them to make free, or low-cost, calls. As mobile phones integrate the technology, the phones will route the call via the cheapest tariff, putting their regular customers under threat. I’ll confess I’ve very tempted!
So, whilst Glasgow’s coffee shops haven’t really embraced the idea of free wifi access, perhaps with people increasingly demanding it, and making purchasing decisions based on that, they’ll finally be encouraged to offer what does seem - at last - to be a reasonable price to pay for wireless internet access away from home.
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July 14th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
Why pay even a small (ISH!) fee at all. In Liverpool you can get a free wifi connection at The Sir Thomas Hotel & Restaurant, World Museum, Maritime Museum at Albert Dock, Everyman Theatre & Bistro and the Liverpool Medical Institution. In Southport, there is the Casa Italia Restaurant on Lord Street and in West Lancashire the prestigious Investment Centre which has a fantastic restaurant available for publuc use and houses many successful companies. Now you know where to visit if you are in the area and want to surf the net, send and receive e-mails or just check out local information - COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE!